Special Olympics Bharat conducts yoga session to motivate special athletes during lockdown

New Delhi: Building on the success of previous webinars, Special Olympics Bharat once again joined hands with the Sports Authority of India to conduct a free yoga session for Special Olympics Athletes on 12th May 2020. The session was led by Ms. Namrata Menon, founder of the World of Yoga – Goa, and demonstrated Yoga as being a powerful medium for maintaining mental health and physical fitness during a period where low physical activity is expected to prevail.
 
The webinar included an introduction to yoga, followed by a 45-minute demonstration by the trainer, to over 350 viewers from India and beyond comprising of Athletes, Coaches, Families, Volunteers and SO officials. The session covered four elements, namely, warm up, slow dynamic movement, asanas (postures) & deep relaxation.
 
The Yoga session will continue on 14th May, the details for which can be found below.  
 
Stressing on the importance of regular Yoga practice for Special athletes, Ms Namrata Menon, Founder of World of Yoga- Goa says “Physical fitness is directly proportional to the extent of harmony between body and mind. Competitive Sports come with a lot of strains and stresses. I believe Yoga can immensely support the Athletes to be mentally equipped to perform to the best of their abilities.”
 
The session concluded with some inspiring words from Aparimita Singh, an Athlete leader from Mumbai Maharashtra who participated in the 2019 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Abu Dhabi, in Athletics. She shared her thoughts and experiences during the lockdown period and reiterated the importance of staying fit in these times.
 
The Special Olympics goal is to create a world where people follow the leadership and voice of Special Olympics athletes toward an inclusive way of life where everyone’s gifts are valued. The Athlete leaders are Special Athletes who have and continue to participate in sports while also demonstrating additional leadership skills and a potential to assume significant roles beyond the sports field too. The Athlete Leadership program creates opportunities for people with Id to develop and demonstrate their abilities and voices in various leadership roles.
 
In the words of Mr Victor R Vaz, National Sports Director, SO Bharat: The Covid 19 period is pushing us into expanding our horizons and re-discovering our capacities. These seminars are giant steps towards spreading awareness and deepening sensitization towards people with Intellectual Disabilities in India and beyond. It is also generating excitement amongst the Coaches, Athletes and the larger community who are a part of the Special Olympics family to follow and embrace new concepts.